Senators-elect urged to reject secret voting

The Sustainable Democracy Agenda (SUDA) has called on senators-elect for the 9th National Assembly to reject secret voting system provided in the controversial 2015 Senate Rule Book.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Usman, the group said the rule book used for inauguration of the 8th Senate remained a controversial document that was a subject of litigation.

The group said, “To avoid the pitfalls that led to the shortcomings of the 8th Senate under Senator Bukola Saraki, the incoming senators must insist on a transparent process that will guarantee stability and productivity of the 9th Senate.

“As a group that is committed to growth and sustainable democracy in Africa, SUDA calls on senators-elect irrespective of party platform to reject moves by the management of the National Assembly, allegedly with external influence, to foist on them the controversial Senate Rule Book 2015.”

The group recalled that the controversial rule book was never subjected to due legislative process.

“It is in contradiction of the legitimate rule book used by the 7th Senate. There is no record of amendment to the Senate Rule Book 2011 which provides for open voting system. Senators of the 7th Senate, including the presiding officers, have disowned any amendment.

“We wonder the origin of the Senate Rule Book 2015, which was apparently created by some desperate principal officers of the 7th Senate in cahoots with some bureaucrats at the National Assembly for the sole aim of favouring the current leadership of the senate against the endorsed candidate of the majority APC in 2015,” SUDA said.

SUDA also insisted on the need for Nigerians to know the choices made by their individual representatives during the elections which are scheduled to hold in June, 2019.